U.S. patent application number 10/800549 was filed with the patent office on 2004-11-04 for high intensity discharge lamp ballast circuit.
Invention is credited to Contenti, Cecilia, Ribarich, Thomas J., Sekine, Masashi.
Application Number | 20040217742 10/800549 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33033156 |
Filed Date | 2004-11-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040217742 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ribarich, Thomas J. ; et
al. |
November 4, 2004 |
High intensity discharge lamp ballast circuit
Abstract
An integrated circuit controls a power converter that includes
single stage buck-boost converter and a switching full bridge that
may be used to drive an HID lamp. The single stage buck-boost
converter reduces the complexity and parts count of the power
converter, or electronic ballast, while permitting PFC and DC bus
voltage regulation under control of the integrated circuit. The
integrated circuit also provides all the drive signals to operate
the switching full bridge circuit to maintain constant power on the
HID lamp. A wait timer provides an interval of time between restart
attempts for the HID lamp to permit the lamp to cool so that high
hot restart voltages are avoided. The integrated circuit simplifies
the design of power converters and electronic ballasts in
particular, while contributing to reducing part count, complexity
and cost in conjunction with the single stage buck-boost
converter.
Inventors: |
Ribarich, Thomas J.; (Laguna
Beach, CA) ; Contenti, Cecilia; (Hermosa Beach,
CA) ; Sekine, Masashi; (Torrance, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OSTROLENK, FABER, GERB & SOFFEN
1180 Avenue of the Americas
New York
NY
10036-8403
US
|
Family ID: |
33033156 |
Appl. No.: |
10/800549 |
Filed: |
March 15, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60455652 |
Mar 18, 2003 |
|
|
|
60487491 |
Jul 14, 2003 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
323/222 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05B 45/375 20200101;
Y02B 20/30 20130101; Y02B 20/00 20130101; H05B 41/2886 20130101;
H05B 45/38 20200101; H05B 41/2888 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
323/222 |
International
Class: |
G05F 001/10 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A power converter for delivering power to a load, comprising: a
single stage buck-boost converter for converting a rectified input
signal; a switching output stage for converting the DC signal to a
switched signal delivered to the load; and a controller coupled to
the buck-boost converter and the output stage for controlling the
buck-boost converter and the output stage.
2. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the buck-boost
converter includes a switch driven by the controller.
3. The power converter according to claim 2, further comprising
drive signals provided from the controller to the switch, the drive
signals being operable to switch the switch to draw an input
current substantially in phase with an input voltage.
4. The power converter according to claim 2, further comprising: an
inductor coupled to the switch for storing current supplied by the
switch; and a drive signal provided from the controller to the
switch to switch the switch to a conducting state when current
through the inductor is substantially zero.
5. The power converter according to claim 2, further comprising: an
inductor coupled to the switch for storing current supplied by the
switch; and a drive signal provided by the controller to the switch
to switch the switch to a conducting state for a selected period of
time, whereby current stored in the inductor varies depending upon
the selected period of time the switch is in the conducting
state.
6. The power converter according to claim 4, further comprising a
diode coupled to the switch and the inductor for directing current
from the switch to the inductor.
7. The power converter according to claim 5, further comprising a
diode coupled to the switch and the inductor for directing current
from the switch to the inductor.
8. The power converter according to claim 1, further comprising a
switching full bridge in the output stage for supplying power to
the load, the switches in the switching full bridge being
controllable by the controller.
9. The power converter according to claim 6, further comprising a
capacitor coupled to the diode and the inductor for storing energy
supplied by the inductor when the diode is conducting.
10. The power converter according to claim 7, further comprising a
capacitor coupled to the diode and the inductor for storing energy
supplied by the inductor when the diode is conducting.
11. The power converter according to claim 3, further comprising a
feedback signal from the buck-boost converter to the controller for
contributing to determining when the switched is switched.
12. The power converter according to claim 4, further comprising a
feedback signal from the inductor to the controller for determining
when the inductor current is substantially zero.
13. The power converter according to claim 1, further comprising a
feedback signal from the output stage to the controller for
providing to the controller an indication of current flowing
through the output stage.
14. An electronic ballast for driving an HID lamp, comprising the
power converter of claim 1.
15. A buck-boost converter for supplying regulated power from a
rectified AC input, comprising: a switch coupled to the rectified
AC input for switching the rectified AC input; an inductor coupled
to the switch for storing current supplied through the switch when
the switch is in a conducting state; a diode coupled to the switch
and the inductor for directing current from the switch to the
inductor when the diode is not conducting; and a capacitor coupled
to the diode and the inductor for storing energy supplied by the
inductor when the diode is conducting, the capacitor supplying an
output of the buck-boost converter.
16. The buck-boost converter according to claim 15, further
comprising: a controller for controlling the buck-boost converter;
and an output signal of the controller coupled to the switch for
switching the switch.
17. The buck-boost converter according to claim 16, wherein the
controller is operable to provide a switching signal to the switch
to draw an input current in phase with an input voltage.
18. A buck-boost converter according to claim 16, further
comprising a feedback signal from the inductor to the controller to
provide an indication of the voltage or current of the
inductor.
19. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the
controller comprises an integrated circuit.
20. An integrated circuit for controlling a power converter,
comprising: a power factor correction circuit for driving a switch
in a buck-boost converter based on buck-boost converter parametric
signals supplied to the integrated circuit; a driver circuit for
driving a switching full bridge circuit to control power delivered
to a load connected to the switching full bridge circuit.
21. The integrated circuit according to claim 20, further
comprising a current sense circuit having an input coupled to the
switching full bridge circuit to obtain an indication of current
flowing through the switching full bridge circuit.
22. The integrated circuit according to claim 20, further
comprising an electronic ballast for driving an HID lamp.
23. A method for controlling the power converter according to claim
1, comprising: operating the buck-boost converter to draw an input
current in phase with an input voltage; operating the buck-boost
converter to obtain a regulated DC bus voltage supplied from the
buck-boost converter to the output stage; and operating the output
stage to supply a constant power to the load.
24. A method for operating a power converter that includes a single
stage input buck-boost converter and a switching output stage,
comprising: operating the single stage input buck-boost converter
to draw a sinusoidal current in phase with an input voltage and to
provide a regulated DC bus output; operating the switching output
stage to provide a constant power to a load.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is based on and claims benefit of U.S.
Provisional Application No. 60/455,652, filed Mar. 18, 2003,
entitled "High Intensity Discharge Lamp Ballast Circuit," and U.S.
Provisional Application No. 60/487,491, filed Jul. 14, 2003,
entitled "High Intensity Discharge (HID) Ballast Control Circuit"
upon both of which a claim of priority is hereby made.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to electronic lamp
ballasts, and relates more particularly to an electronic lamp
ballast and control for a high intensity discharge lamp.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] High intensity discharge (HID) lamps have been in use for a
number of years in a variety of lighting applications. Four types
of HID lamps are typically used in practice, including mercury
vapor, low pressure sodium, high pressure sodium and metal halide.
HID lamps enjoy a number of advantages over incandescent lighting
and fluorescent lighting, but also have some comparative
limitations. For example, HID lamps typically do not start
immediately, but require some warm up time to come to full
illumination. In addition, HID lamps typically emit light in
several different colors, for example, mercury vapor lamps tend to
have a bluish color while sodium lamps tend to have a yellow color
output. Metal halide lamps typically have a bright white output and
is preferred for a number of applications where light quality is an
important factor.
[0006] Fluorescent lamps tend to be much larger than HID lamps and
have nearly instant start up and restart times. In addition,
fluorescent lamp performance tends to be very temperature
sensitive, while HID lamps can operate in a variety of environments
without significant decreases in performance.
[0007] In the past, HID lamps have dominated the lighting market
because of the high lumen output, high efficiency and superior
light quality provided by metal halide HID lamps. The typical metal
halide HID lamp was formerly driven by magnetic ballast, which were
not usually optimized for any particular application. Presently,
electronic ballasts for metal halide HID lighting applications have
been developed that increase the performance and efficiency of the
HID lamp, which has the advantageous result of decreasing
maintenance and energy costs. The use of electronic ballasts also
permits HID lamps to be operated in a dimming mode. Electronic
ballast may also be made to adapt to the changing conditions of the
lamp over its life, and thus compensate for a typical reduction in
light output from the lamp over its lifetime. By compensating for
the reduction in light output, the electronic ballast can maintain
a higher and consistent light level for the duration of the life of
the lamp. Accordingly, electronic ballasts reduce the need for
frequent lamp replacement, while improving efficiency, thereby
reducing the overall count of lighting fixtures needed to realize a
particular application.
[0008] In a typical HID lamp, an igniter is used to start the lamp,
which improves the lamp life and simplifies operation of the lamp.
In prior HID lamps, a large open circuit voltage was needed to
ignite the lamp, causing a high lamp current crest factor that
contributed to diminishing the lifetime of the lamp. By providing
an igniter, the electronic ballast for the HID lamp can operate at
a potentially lower voltage that provides a number of advantages.
For example, it is typically preferable to operate an electronic
ballast for an HID lamp at a given frequency to avoid interference
with other electronic equipment and improve the efficiency of the
lighting application. Electronic ballasts are also able to maintain
lamp power at a particular rated point for the lamp throughout its
lifetime. Maintaining lamp power throughout the lifetime of the
lamp is important because the intrinsic voltage of the lamp arc
tube changes as the lamp ages, and electronic ballasts should be
adaptable to maintain a constant power output.
[0009] In general, HID lamps have higher ignition voltages than
fluorescent lamps, typically in the range of 3 Kv when measured
peak-to-peak. HID lamps generally also have no filaments, which
avoids the need to preheat filaments, where fluorescent lamps
typically require filament preheat. While electronic ballasts for
fluorescent lamps are typically operated at 30 to 50 kHz, HID lamps
are operated in a range that avoids these frequencies due to the
problem of acoustic resonance that can cause damage and
catastrophic failure to the lamp. Thus, HID lamps are often
operated in the range of low frequencies, typically a few hundred
Hertz. In these low frequency ranges, full bridge switching
circuits are used to drive HID lamps with a square wave without
resonant output circuits. Realizing a good HID electronic ballast
design also includes handling the design challenge of high ignition
voltage when attempting to ignite a hot HID lamp. In this
circumstance, the ignition voltage can rise to voltages on the
order of approximately 25 kV, which can be difficult for an
electronic ballast to handle.
[0010] Another design criteria that an electronic ballast
preferably handles is power factor correction (PFC). A typical
power converter connected to a line input should ideally draw
current and voltage in phase with each other, so that the power
converter load appears as a purely resistant load to the power line
input. A high power factor, close to unity, for example, indicates
that the load on the power line input approaches the
characteristics of a resistive load. A unity power factor is
desirable to avoid capacitive or inductive impedances that can
undermine the quality of the power line input supplied to other
devices connected to the power line. Accordingly, an HID ballast
should provide power factor correction to avoid excessive
impedances on the line input.
[0011] It is often the case that an electronic ballast designed to
meet the above described design challenges is realized with a
number of components and integrated circuits to control the
electronic ballast to provide proper operation. For example, each
side of a full bridge used to operate an HID lamp typically has its
own driver integrated circuit, IC, while another IC is used as a
control for power factor correction. Still other ICs are often used
to realize a system control for overall operation of the electronic
ballast, including driving switches and obtaining feedback. It
would be desirable to obtain an electronic ballast for an HID lamp
with a simplified construction and reduced component count to
improve ballast efficiency and reduce costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, there is provided a single integrated circuit to provide
all the control signals in an electronic ballast for an HID lamp.
The control IC provides gate signals for switching an input stage
switch to obtain a high power factor by drawing an input current in
phase with an input voltage. The gate signals also obtain a
regulated DC bus for power supply to the electronic ballast. In
addition, the control IC provides gate signals for operating the
full bridge used to drive a standard HID lamp. The full bridge is
driven by the control IC at approximately 200 Hz to avoid acoustic
resonance. The control IC contains system control features for
driving the full bridge to regulate lamp power and for detecting
fault conditions in the electronic ballast or lamp.
[0013] In accordance with several advantageous features of the
present invention, the control IC according to the present
invention provides a 600V full bridge driver, an 800V boost buck
driver and control and protection features for completely operating
an HID lamp. In accordance with a particular feature offered by the
control IC according to the present invention, a timer circuit is
provided that permits multiple ignition pulses to be generated for
lamp ignition with an interval between ignition attempts being five
minutes. The ignition pulses are used to drive the igniter to start
or restart the lamp in the case of, for example, a fault condition
such as low input voltage. The five-minute wait period permits the
HID lamp to cool to a particular temperature to avoid a high
voltage hot restrike ignition condition. The control IC also
provides an igniter signal that can be directly used to drive an
external igniter.
[0014] A single stage buck-boost converter converts line input
power to regulated DC bus power with high power factor. The
buck-boost driver control for the PFC circuit operates using a
three pin control. One pin senses zero crossing of the current,
another pin provides compensation for the buck-boost converter and
a third pin senses the bus voltage to obtain a regulated DC bus
voltage.
[0015] The control IC also provides features for sensing feedback
values to regulate current and voltage on the lamp and regulate bus
voltage between a specified range of operation. An input setting
for user selectable power delivered to the HID lamp is also
available.
[0016] The above and other features are described in greater detail
in the following description read in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The present invention is described in greater detail below
with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating overall organization
of the circuit according to the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating inductor current during a
half cycle of AC line input voltage according to the electronic
ballast of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of the electronic ballast
according to the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of an electronic ballast for an
HID lamp using a control IC in accordance with the present
invention; and
[0022] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating overall organization
of a conventional electronic ballast.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0023] Referring now to FIG. 1, the present invention is
illustrated in a block diagram 15 where the electronic ballast
consists of two stages, a buck-boost input stage 10 and a full
bridge output stage 12. Full bridge output stage 12 is composed of
switches M1-M4, which are switched at a frequency of approximately
200 Hz to avoid acoustic resonance as discussed above. Parameters
in the different stages 10 and 12 are sensed and controlled by a
control IC 14. Control IC 14 provides gate signals for controlling
switches M1-M4 in the full bridge output stage 12 used to drive the
HID lamp. Control IC 14 provides a single chip control solution for
driving the HID lamp in full bridge output stage 12, while also
controlling buck-boost input stage 10 to obtain high power factor
and a regulated DC bus.
[0024] Buck-boost input stage 10 includes a switch S1 for operating
stage 12 as a buck-boost converter. Control IC 14 provides gating
signal for controlling switch S1 and buck-boost input stage 10 to
draw a sinusoidal input current in phase with an input voltage to
obtain a high power factor. Buck-boost input stage 10 runs in
critical conduction mode to draw the appropriate input current
while regulating DC bus voltage so that a constant lamp power may
be maintained.
[0025] Control IC 14 receives a number of feedback signals from
buck-boost input stage 10 and full bridge output stage 12 to
control these stages and detect faults in the electronic ballast or
the lamp. For example, control IC 14 senses current in the full
bridge output stage 12 to determine whether an overcurrent
condition exists that may result from lamp removal or failure.
Control IC 14 also provides protections for the electronic lamp
ballast and the HID lamp, such as in the case of undervoltage
operation or when the lamp must be reignited after being
extinguished unintentionally, such as may happen with an
undervoltage condition. Control IC 14 provides a timer circuit that
preferably generates a five-minute wait period, for example,
between ignition pulses to reignite the lamp when it is
unintentionally extinguished. The five-minute wait period permits
the lamp to cool, thereby avoiding high voltages that would
otherwise be required to reignite the lamp in a hot condition.
[0026] Control IC 14 also senses conditions in buck-boost input
stage 10 to determine zero crossing points for the current in the
inductor and bus voltage so that bus voltage can be regulated, for
example. Control IC 14 switches switch S1 based on a zero crossing
of the current in the inductor in buck-boost input stage 10 to
provide PFC so that the electronic ballast approaches the
appearance of a purely resistive load for the line input. Control
IC 14 also includes a lamp power input so that a programmed lamp
power can be maintained. Lamp current and voltage are sensed by
control IC 14 so that the bus voltage can be regulated with a
nominal bus voltage value to obtain the desired power on the
lamp.
[0027] Control IC 14 realizes a number of advantages in combination
with the buck-boost power converter for providing an electronic
ballast. A 600V full bridge driver functionality is incorporated
into the control IC 14, for operation at approximately 200 Hertz,
for example. Control IC 14 also provides an 800V buck-boost driver
for the switch in the buck-boost converter of buck-boost input
stage 10. Control IC 14 has a feedback control loop to provide PFC,
while regulating a bus voltage to control lamp power. The timing
circuit in control IC 14 permits ignition retry sequences with
intervals to permit the lamp to cool in the event of non-ignition
or when the lamp is extinguished. In conjunction with the timing
circuit, the electronic ballast is shut down after a set number of
failed ignitions as determined with control IC 14. Control IC 14
also provides programmable features for electronic ballast start
up, so that a user can set a start up sequence for the electronic
ballast. Control IC 14 also provides a number of failure detection
and protection features, including a failure to ignite the lamp, a
missing lamp protection, a lamp end of life protection and a
protection for a malfunctioning lamp. The IC 14 is also protected
from overheating with an internal thermal limit circuit. Control IC
14 also provides micro power start up to initiate circuit operation
prior to high power switching. The micro power feature is also
useful for fault conditions, where it is desired to have the
circuit in an operational mode without switching the switches in
the full bridge. In addition, control IC 14 has a latch immunity
feature to prevent latch up, and ESD protection to prevent damage
from electrostatic discharge.
[0028] Referring for a moment to the conventional HID electronic
ballast illustrated in FIG. 5 as diagram 50, a three stage solution
is illustrated. The conventional solution provides a boost input
stage 52, a buck mid stage 54 and a full bridge output stage 56.
The conventional circuit illustrated in diagram 50 includes an
inductor LPFC and switch SPFC in boost input stage 52, an inductor
LCC and switch SCC in buck mid stage 54 and four switches M1-M4 in
full bridge output stage 56. In addition, the circuit realized in
diagram 50 includes a number of other supporting components that
are used for feedback and control functions in each of stages 52,
54 and 56. Boost input stage 52 provides PFC at the line input and
a regulated DC bus voltage. Buck mid stage 54 provides current
control to full bridge output stage 56 for lamp power. Full bridge
output stage 56 provides control for the HID lamp for pre-ignition,
ignition and running operations. In the conventional solution of
diagram 50, independent control circuits 53, 55 and 57 control each
of stages 52, 54 and 56, respectively. Control circuit 53 senses
conditions in boost input stage 52 and operates switch SPFC in
accordance with maintaining a high power factor and a regulated DC
bus voltage. Control circuit 55 senses parameters in buck mid stage
54 and full bridge output stage 56 and provides a control to switch
SCC for current control in buck mid stage 54. Control circuit 57
senses conditions in full bridge output stage 56 and operates
switches M1-M4 to drive the HID lamp in accordance with a
particular design goal, such as in a constant power mode, for
example.
[0029] Referring again to FIG. 1, the circuit in diagram 15
includes buck-boost input stage 10 and full bridge output stage 12,
where buck-boost input stage 10 provides all the functionality of
the separate boost and buck stages of the conventional electronic
ballast. In addition, buck-boost input stage 10 and full bridge
output stage 12 are controlled by a single control circuit that can
be realized up with a single control IC 14. Control IC 14 provides
all the sensing and control operations for switching switch S1 and
switches M1-M4 in stages 10 and 12. In this realization of the
present invention, buck-boost input stage 10 includes a single
inductor L1 and a single switch S1 to realize all the desired
functionality in buck-boost input stage 10. By consolidating the
conventional input stages into buck-boost input stage 10, the
present invention provides a more efficient realization of an
electronic ballast with fewer components and a corresponding
reduction in additional components used to sense and control the
electronic ballast.
[0030] Referring now to FIG. 2, a waveform of input current is
illustrated in graph 20. The current peaks generally follow an
envelope related to the input voltage waveform to obtain a high
power factor with a low total harmonic distortion. This waveform is
achieved through operation of buck-boost input stage 10, as
described in greater detail below.
[0031] Referring now to FIG. 3, a topology and control circuit for
realizing a buck-boost converter in an HID electronic ballast
according to the present invention is illustrated generally as
circuit 30. Circuit 30 shows darkened lines carrying high power,
and a resistor RLOAD in place of the switching full bridge and HID
lamp for illustration purposes. Sensing and control signals are
illustrated in light solid lines. The electronic ballast circuit
provides control to the lamp for pre-ignition, ignition, running,
fault protection and end of life protection. The buck-boost
converter according to the present invention provides PFC for the
line input and provides regulated voltage to a lamp output stage,
illustrated in diagram 30 as resistor RLOAD for discussion
purposes. A buck-boost stage 32 includes a switch S1 connected
between a positive node of the AC rectified line input and an
inductor L1. Inductor L1 is connected between switch S1 and the
negative node of the AC rectified line input. A diode D1 is
arranged in buck-boost stage 32 with a cathode connected to the
inductor, and the anode connected to a negative node of a DC bus
capacitor C1. DC bus capacitor C1 is arranged in buck-boost
converter stage 32 with the negative node connected to the anode of
diode D1 and the positive node connected to the negative node of
the AC rectified line input.
[0032] Buck-boost converter stage 32 operates by switching S1 to
charge inductor L1 at appropriate times, and to permit inductor L1A
to discharge to supply electrical energy to resistor RLOAD and
capacitor C1. When switch S1 is closed, or in a conducting state,
inductor L1A is connected across the positive and negative nodes of
the AC rectified input, so that current flowing through inductor
L1A begins to increase linearly. Diode D1 blocks current from
flowing into DC bus capacitor C1 when switch S1 is closed. When the
current from inductor L1A reaches a given value, as is determined
by the on time of switch S1, switch S1 is opened, or made
non-conducting, and inductor L1A becomes connected across DC bus
capacitor C1. The current stored in inductor L1A discharges
linearly and flows into the positive node of DC bus capacitor C1 so
that the voltage on DC bus capacitor C1 increases. Diode D1 allows
current to flow between DC bus capacitor C1 and inductor L1A during
the off time of switch S1 so that the voltage on the positive node
of DC bus capacitor C1 increases with respect to the negative node
of DC bus capacitor C1. The off time of switch S1 is governed by
the current through inductor L1A discharging to zero, at which
point switch S1 closes and a new cycle for switch S1 begins. This
cycle of switching and energy transfer is continually repeated
through operation on switch S1 to achieve the design goals of
buck-boost converter. For example, the DC bus voltage level
determines the on time of switch S1 to obtain a regulated DC bus
voltage. If the DC bus voltage decreases below a desired level, the
on time for switch S1 is increased to supply additional current to
DC bus capacitor C1 through current charging on inductor L1A. The
more current supplied to DC bus capacitor C1, the higher the charge
and thus DC bus voltage level. If the DC bus voltage increases
above a desired level, the on time of switch S1 is decreased to
supply less current to DC bus capacitor C1 through inductor L1A,
thereby decreasing the DC bus voltage.
[0033] Another important aspect of the operation of buck-boost
converter stage 32 is controlling output power. Output power
control is important for handling operation of the HID lamp in its
different modes of operation. During pre-ignition and ignition, for
example, the DC bus is regulated to a certain voltage level so that
an ignition circuit can supply a sufficient amount of voltage
across the lamp, e.g., 5 kV to ignite the lamp and establish the
lamp arc. Once the lamp is ignited, and during the initial warm up
period of the lamp, the DC bus voltage drops to about 20V as
determined by the lamp voltage. In addition, the lamp consumes
about two amps during this ignition phase. After several minutes,
as the lamp warms up, the DC bus voltage reaches a steady state
value of approximately 100V and the lamp consumes about 400
.OMEGA.amps of current. Because of all these different modes of
operation for the HID lamp, constant output power regulation is
highly desirable.
[0034] Regulation of output power to a constant level is provided
in buck-boost converter stage 32 by obtaining a load current sense
value through resistor RSENSE, and the DC bus voltage value through
a voltage divider network composed of resistors RB1 and RB2. The
bus voltage and load current are multiplied together to obtain a
power value with multiplier circuit chip 34. The resulting feedback
power value is amplified, for example by a factor often through the
ratio of the 10K and 1K resistors in op-amp gain circuit 35. The
output of op-amp gain circuit 35 is provided to a standardly
configured feedback op amp circuit 36, consisting of an op-amp,
potentiometer and capacitor C2. Standard feedback op-amp circuit 36
regulates the output power against a fixed 4V threshold 37 to
provide a compensation signal for regulating the DC bus voltage.
Accordingly, the output of standard feedback op-amp circuit 36 is
provided to the COMP pin of control IC 38. As the output power
increases or decreases above or below 4V threshold 37, op-amp
circuit 36 appropriately modifies a signal on the COMP pin so that
the on time of the PFC output pin on control IC 38 increases or
decreases to maintain a constant power. For example, if the power
decreases, the on time provided by the signal on the PFC output pin
is increased so that the current delivered to resistor RLOAD
through inductor L1A is increased. If the delivered power tends to
increase, the on time switch S1 is decreased based on the value
supplied to the COMP pin, so that the current delivered to the
load, and consequently capacitor C1, is decreased.
[0035] This simple configuration for the feedback and control of
buck-boost converter permits a robust control with a small number
of components and signals. Buck-boost converter stage 32 realizes a
high PFC, while maintaining good DC bus voltage regulation. The
feedback loop for sensing bus voltage and adjusting switch on-time
preferably has a reduced response time so that the charging and
discharging inductor current follows an envelope that has a shape
that is substantially the same as the AC input line voltage. By
providing an appropriate feedback loop speed, a high power factor
is maintained while obtaining a low total harmonic distortion
(THD).
[0036] Inductor current is detected for feedback purposes through a
secondary winding inductor L1B. The current from inductor L1B is
coupled to a ZX pin for signaling when the inductor current
discharges to zero with each charging/discharging cycle. The PFC
control circuit that is internal to control IC 38 provides all the
functionality involving signals on pins ZX, COMP, VBUS and PFC to
provide the PFC control for buck-boost converter stage 32. Due to
the simplified operation of buck-boost converter, a control method
that is substantially similar to that used for a boost type
converter can be applied to buck-boost converter stage 32.
[0037] A signal for switching S1 is provided on pin PFC of control
IC 38 to realize PFC and a bus voltage regulation in buck-boost
converter stage 32. However, switch S1 is preferably not referenced
to COM of control IC 38, so that a signal level shift is used to
provide gating signals for switch S1 based on the signal on pin
PFC. Accordingly, a level shift IC 39 is used to shift the source
of the gate to source control voltage to the source of switch S1.
That is, level shift IC 39 boosts the gate signal for switch S1 to
an appropriate level, with switching control provided by the signal
on pin PFC of control IC 38.
[0038] In diagram 30, the HID lamp and full bridge is simulated
with resistor RLOAD. In the simulation resistor RLOAD is set to a
low value to simulate the HID lamp during an initial warm up period
after ignition. The value of RLOAD is adjusted to a higher value
for a steady state condition to simulate normal running operation
of the HID lamp in the full bridge circuit. The circuit of diagram
30 provides constant power to resistor RLOAD as it varies while
simulating the different modes of operation for the HID lamp.
[0039] Referring again to FIG. 2, graph 20 illustrating an inductor
current waveform for 1/2 cycle of the AC line input voltage is
shown. As the rectified AC line input voltage increases and
decreases during the cycle time of the main input voltage, switch
S1 is switched to cause current to charge and discharge inductor
L1A (FIG. 3). Each cycle of switch S1 results in a current waveform
that is substantially triangular shaped with a peak that increases
and decreases in accordance with the AC input voltage level. That
is, the AC input voltage level forms an envelope for the peaks of
the triangles in the inductor current waveform. The on-time of
switch S1 remains relatively constant over the course of a cycle,
while the off time of switch S1 is determined by the time it takes
for the current in inductor L1A to discharge from the peak current
value to zero. Because the peak current value increases and
decreases with the input voltage level, the off time of switch S1
varies over the course of an input voltage cycle. In accordance
with this configuration, the frequency of the inductor current is
variable and free running, with the lowest frequencies obtained at
the peak of the input voltage half cycle, and the highest
frequencies occurring near the zero crossings of the input voltage.
The inductor current is discharged to zero with each inductor
charging/discharging cycle, so that buck-boost converter stage 32
is operated in critical conduction mode, which forms the border
between continuous and discontinuous conduction modes.
[0040] Referring now to FIG. 4, a circuit diagram 40 illustrates a
simplified solution for control of the electronic ballast with an
input buck-boost converter 44 and a full bridge output stage 46. In
accordance with the solution provided by the circuit in diagram 40,
a single control IC 42 provides control for the electronic ballast
by receiving all sensing signals and delivering all control signals
in the electronic ballast. Accordingly, buck-boost converter 44 is
controlled with a zero crossing signal supplied on pin ZX, a
regulation signal supplied on pin COMP, a bus voltage value on pin
VBUS and a gate signal supplied by pin HOBB. These four signals
supply a complete control configuration for buck-boost converter 44
to supply regulated DC power to full bridge circuit 46 consisting
of switches M1-M4 and the HID lamp while obtaining a high power
factor and current control for lamp power regulation. Control IC 42
provides a level shifted gate signal to drive switch S1 in
buck-boost converter 44 through pins VBBB and VSBB, so that no
additional circuitry is needed to operate switch S1 with the gate
signal provided on pin HOBB.
[0041] Control IC 42 includes a lamp power input on pin PLAMP for
programming the desired lamp power. By appropriately setting the
resistor connected to pin PLAMP, power supplied to the HID lamp can
be regulated to a constant value.
[0042] An ignition signal for operating the igniter of the HID lamp
is provided on pin LOIGN to provide functionality for HID lamps
with external igniters. In addition, control IC 42 obtains a
current sense signal on pin CS based on the value of the voltage on
resistor RCS. For example, if the voltage on resistor RCS, as
received on pin CS, is greater than a predetermined voltage level,
a lamp overcurrent fault is indicated, such as a failure of the
lamp to strike. Control IC 42 also provides an INT pin to permit
integrated programming, such as in the case of amplification signal
conditioning, for example. Control IC 42 provides all the drive
signals for separately operating the two half bridges composed of
switches M1 and M2, and switches M3 and M4, respectively, to form
the full bridge used to drive the HID lamp. For example, control IC
42 provides signals on pins HO1 and LO1 for switches M1 and M2,
respectively, and provides signals HO2 and LO2 for switches M3 and
M4, respectively. These gate signals are used to switch switches
M1-M4 in controlling the HID lamp. Accordingly, the internal
circuitry of control IC 42 provides appropriate level shifting,
dead time, control and driver circuits for operating switches
M1-M4. Two separate reference signals are connected to the
midpoints of the two half bridges, from pins VS1 and VS2, for
example.
[0043] Power to control IC 42 is provided on pin VCC, through the
secondary winding of inductor L1B, diode D2 and capacitor CVCC.
Accordingly, control IC 42 is self-contained with all functionality
needed to realize PFC, bus voltage regulation, current control and
lamp power control in the electronic ballast of diagram 40.
Buck-boost converter 44 provides a simplified and novel approach to
obtain supply power, voltage and current control, while maintaining
a high power factor with simplified configuration and reduced
number of components. In addition, the electronic ballast includes
fault protection to handle a large number of faults, including bus
undervoltage, lamp overcurrent, lamp end of life, failure to ignite
the lamp, and short circuit protection.
[0044] Although the present invention has been described in
relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations
and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those
skilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that the present
invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but
only by the appended claims.
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